January
1953 saw the start of construction of a huge new warehouse on Site 8. This was
located on the West side of Burtonwood Road and immediately north of the
Liverpool Manchester railway line. In fact a siding was taken from the line for
rail transport.

On
August 16th 1954 the warehouse was opened and became known as Header
House. It was the largest covered warehouse in Europe at the time with a length
of 5280 feet (one mile!) and a width of 1255 feet with a capacity of 5 million
cubic feet. Total building cost $12 million.

When
France quit NATO in 1967 the Americans looked to Burtonwood and Header House to
store their military supplies, as the US forces were no longer welcome in
France. So RAF Burtonwood had a new lease of life when the US Army took control
in February 1967.

With
the ending of the cold war and with a reduction in the US military budget,
Header House became surplus to requirements and the US Army pulled out in the
summer of 1993.

Now
in May 2004 the long leg has been completely demolished to make way for
redevelopment. Soon the short leg will follow and the whole site will
become Chapelford Urban Village.

In 2011 Header
House and the warehouses have gone, consumed by an urban sprawl.

RAF sign once on RH side of Gate 12

US Army sign on LH side of Gate 12

Aerial view taken by me in 2000

US Army photograph jeeps along long led

The BBQ along Burma Road

Recreation site off Burma Road

US Army picture

US Army picture

US Army picture

US Army picture

US Army picture

US Army picture

US Army picture

US Army picture

US Army picture

Arms strongroom Warehouse M

Entrance to strongroom behind cage

Oblique view of strongroom

Warehouse N used to store POMCUS

Warehouse N

Warehouse N

Warehouse P

Warehouse P Recreational area and toilets

Warehouse R Upper level used for vehicle storage

Warehouse S Lower Level

Warehouse S upper Level

Warehouse S Upper Level

Warehouse T Lower Level

Warehouse T Rest Room

Rear of the short leg 2000

Short leg 2000

What happened to the slurry?

View north between the long and short legs 2000

Between the long and short legs 2000

Looking north 2000

Looking North West 2000

Looking somewhat untidy 2000

View of short leg from peri track 2000

13th May 1992

View along long leg

13th May 1992

13th May 1992

13th May 1992

13th May 1992

13th May 1992

13th May 1992

13th May 1992

Site plan

Door 5

Door 8

Inside the building

The strongroom in Header House

Inside the soundproofed strongroom

Stripped equipment rack. This room probably housed
the US Army HF radio station

Transmission line that once connected to an HF yagi
antenna located behind Header House between the long and short legs